Electrical distribution center assemblies are widely used in motor vehicles to interconnect various electrical wiring assemblies. Electrical distribution center assemblies may also be used in other non-vehicular applications. An electrical distribution center assembly can package various fuses, relays and other electrical devices in a central location. Such electrical distribution center assemblies include provisions for electrically connecting a power source and electrical devices housed in the electrical distribution center to electrical wiring harness connectors for supplying power and control signals to various electrical systems of the vehicle. Examples of electrical distribution center assemblies can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,135 granted to Brussalis et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,529 granted to Borzi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,220,876 granted to Avila et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,739,889 granted to Daggett et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 7,635,212 granted to Seidler.
Known electrical distribution center assemblies incorporate a connector shroud including a non-movable floor that sits at the base of the male terminals to provide some level of dimensional stabilization of the terminals prior to mating with a wiring harness connector. For additional blade stabilization and protection from damage prior to connector mating, a second piece, a terminal stabilizer plate, is mounted to the shroud to capture the terminals near the tips. The terminal stabilizer plate may be attached to the shroud with tabs defined by the terminal stabilizer plate that are inserted into slots in the shroud as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,422,881 granted to Puhl et al. or the terminal stabilizer plate may be integrally molded into the shroud with breakaway portions as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 8,267,702 granted to De La Raza et al. As a connector body is mated to the electrical distribution center in the vehicle, there is a momentary increase in the force needed to insert the connector body into the shroud as the tabs are pushed out of the slots or the breakaway portions are broken.
The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.